-LRB- Mother Nature Network -RRB- -- Mother 's Day poems come in all shapes and sizes .

Many address the poet 's memories of his mother . Others describe the poet 's gratitude for his mother . Some are very short . Some are very long .

Sometimes the mother-child relationship is complicated and the poet discusses the good times along with the bad . Other times , it 's a straightforward message of love and gratitude . If nothing else , the poet almost always acknowledges the significant role a mother plays in the lives of her children .

Needless-to-say , with Mom being portrayed so many different ways in poetry , there are several avenues for approaching a selection of poems appropriate for Mother 's Day .

Well , we 're here to help you . Here 's a list of selected works to get you started with Mother 's Day poems :

Mother Nature Network : Mother 's Day song guide

`` To My Mother '' by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Scottish poet evokes childhood memories in this four-line ode to Mom . It appeared `` A Child 's Garden of Verses , '' a collection of 65 poems by Stevenson first published in 1885 under the title `` Penny Whistles . ''

You too , my mother , read my rhymes For love of unforgotten times , And you may chance to hear once more The little feet along the floor .

`` Kaddish '' by Allen Ginsberg

Ginsberg , one of the leading voices of the Beat Generation , wrote this lengthy poem following the 1956 death of his mother . It was published as part of a collection , `` Kaddish and Other Poems : 1958-1960 . '' Its title refers to the traditional Jewish prayer recited during times of mourning .

`` To My Mother '' by Christina Rosetti

Rosetti , a 19th century English poet best known for her lengthy poem called `` Goblin 's Market , '' wrote this short piece about her mother in 1842 :

To-day 's your natal day ; Sweet flowers I bring : Mother , accept , I pray My offering . And may you happy live , And long us bless ; Receiving as you give Great happiness .

Mother Nature Network : Kids ' Mother 's Day crafts projects

`` Thanking My Mother for Piano Lessons '' by Diane Wakoski

Wakoski , a contemporary poet who counts Allen Ginsberg among her influences , writes of the `` beauty that can come from even an ugly past '' in this poem that recounts , among other things , the financial struggles her mother accepted in order to make sure she could pay for her child 's piano lessons .

`` Mother o ' Mine '' by Rudyard Kipling

The Nobel laureate , who lived from 1865 to 1936 , wrote about the undying love of a mother in this 11-line poem :

If I were hanged on the highest hill , Mother o ' mine , O mother o ' mine ! I know whose love would follow me still , Mother o ' mine , O mother o ' mine ! If I were drowned in the deepest sea , Mother o ' mine , O mother o ' mine ! I know whose tears would come down to me , Mother o ' mine , O mother o ' mine ! If I were damned of body and soul , I know whose prayers would make me whole , Mother o ' mine , O mother o ' mine !

`` Mother to Son '' by Langston Hughes

This lesser-known piece by the Harlem Renaissance writer takes the perspective of the mother speaking to her son and telling him that `` Life for me ai n't been no crystal stair . '' It can be found in `` The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes . ''

`` What I Learned From My Mother '' by Julia Kasdorf

Kasdorf is the second contemporary poet on our list . She talks about how her mother taught her to comfort those in mourning , to offer healing and `` the blessing of your voice , your chaste touch . ''

Do you have a favorite Mother 's Day poem ? Let us know in the comments below .

© Copyright 2010 Mother Nature Network

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Poets have long written about their mothers or to their mothers

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Robert Louis Stevenson : Poem tells mother to hear `` The little feet along the floor ''

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Julia Kasdorf 's poem tells how her mother taught her to comfort those in mourning

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Rudyard Kipling 's poem said his mother would love him even if he were hanged